It showed that malnutrition levels remained “persistently high” in 14 countries, even while childhood stunting and wasting have reduced since the 2000s.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) calls for an end to all forms of malnutrition by 2030.

“If current rates of progress are sustained, many areas of Africa will meet the World Health Organization Global Targets 2025 to improve maternally, infant and young child nutrition, but high levels of growth failure will persist across the Sahel,” the study said.

In 2012, WHO has adopted the Global Nutrition Targets (WHO GNT), to reduce stunting, wasting, low birth weight and overweight in children under five, among other things.

Sub-Saharan Africa has an estimated 36.6% of children under five stunted, 8.6% wasted and 19.5% underweight in 2015, according to the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2016 (GBD 2016).